Variable drive control



Sept. 25, 1945. p LEAR I 2,385,630

I VARIABLE DRIVE CONTROL Filed Aug. 17, 1943 INVENTOR. 2/ 4; I W/M/A/ /f. 154/? v WLATTORNEY 'ative :means- :i'o'r: selectively restraining "rotation V of a member of -such ture's"oifsthe'invention OFFICE assignmentspto Lear, Incorpoo; a corporation of Illinois nmubnnuiust 173943,serial No. 499,008

-8 Claims. ('61: 14-289) This invention? relates -toia selective drive: sys- 'temyand more :p'articularly to an' electromagnetic clutch. arrangement connecting .a::driving"*meinv bentoa. driven member: and-varying the relative speedsthereoh driving member is" connected to a :driven member "through gearingi includin'g 'a'normally" rotatable membenzfithe-irotation 'or'which *may be: variably restrained .to" eiiectwariations in the ratio of *the speeds :in: thei'driven amem'ber' and the driving member; 'tO IJIOVldG asselect'ivie driving-system +ineludingplanetaryagearing,and magneticallyopergearing; tive 1 drive system including a tQ provide: 'a selecnormally rotat'able membercaxiallymovableto eilect "different speed ratio'svbetween a. driving m'ember 'xand a driven member; or to operatively-tdi'sconnect the driving memberfromathe' driv'en member. v

I These and:further/obiactsi "advantages and feawillube apparentfrom the following :description In the'drawing z. i Fig. Y 1 is 'an I elevation vi'ew in j embodiment'oi'theinvention." a I Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on theline 2-4 ofrFig. 1;

Fig.1 3 is .a vertical- Se cition oi" one" ctionalyiew on the line i and "accompanying "draw risidsna'ftinm;through anvesystem'zo. .Flex-- partlydn section, of

- the magnetic field through adjus berzll'. r Hub portiondl has areduced outer'e'nd' rial.

I3 on wnich isa ball bearing f 21 supporting it a movable:mountin'gmember22m magnetic ,mate- I Mcuntingrmember' 22 formspart' on. plan etarygearing arrangement: for connecting shaft It to shaft and is urged'outwardly on' e'xtension- 7 I awagainsta nut 23 "by a spring '24. a purpose to be described'rhereinafter. a braking tatably'supported in bearing 4| in pinions 26;

amount of slippage, the ratio of driving member ID and surface 25 is mounted in nular member I4.

. driving pinion 28 on the end of shaft l2 and an internal ring gear 30 mounted in housing l3. Ring gear 30 is mounted in bearing 3| which is secured in recesses in plates 32 .nd 33 set into housing l3, and is provided with a shaft 36 mounted in'bearing 36 in end wall 31-of housing I3. A pinion 38 on the end of shaft 35 meshes with a spur gear 40 on shaft I5. Shaft I5 is roend plate 31.

The magnetizing winding I1 may be energized from a suitable source of electric current 42 through conductors '43 and 44. Conductor extends'directly from source 42 to the magnetizing windingll. A disconnecting switch 45 and a rheostat 46 having a contactarm 41, are in series with conductor 43. By the described arrangement, the magnetizing winding may be energized through closure of switch 45. The strength of the magnetic field may be varied through adjustment of contact arm 41 along rheostat 48 to "vary the current flow through winding I1.

When switch 45 is'open, and shaft I0 is rotatmg, no motion will be transmitted to shaft IS. The pinion 28' will cause rotation of planetary However, the mounting member 22 is me to rotate, so the planetary pinions 26 impart no motion to ring gear 30. If switch 45 is now closed. member 22 is urged into engagement withbraking surface 25. Under such conditions, pinion 28 rotates ring gear 30 through pinions 26. Thus pinion 38, gear 40 and shaft I5 will be driven. By suitable control of the strength of tment of rheostat 46; the force with which member 22 is urged into engagement with braking surface 25 may be varied. Thus, the member 22 may be held in movement restraining frictional contact with braking surface 25 or may be controlled so as to 'slip' with respect thereto. Bycontrolling the between the speeds driven member I! may be varied over a wide range.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, corresponding elements have been indicated by corresponding reference characters primed. In this embodiment of the inven 2 I 9,355,6307' l 1 f ing' plate away from said braking surface; and

don, the driving system or the invention a cum nected to an electric motor II which may be energized from source 42' through conductors ii connected in parallel with conductors 432". A

disconnecting switch I: is provided tocentrol the means for urging said plate into frictional engagement with said surface and controlling the slippage between saldplate and surface to vary the energization of bothvmotor ,II and magnetizing winding I1. .Energizatinn of ma netism:

winding I1" is controlled in the same manner as m Figs. 1, 2 and s throuahdisconnecting switch 45'; rheostat Al and adjustable contact 41'. In"

this embodiment .of the invention, internal ring gear so is made to extend axially a greater disv tance. Mounting member If is formed ratio of the speed of said ring gear to that of said driving pinion.

3. A drive system comprising a housing; a

member mounted in said housing and having an" elongated hub portion; abraking surface mounted Y in saidhousing; a driving shaft extending through said hub portion; a driving pinion on the extended end of said driving shaft; a pinion mounting gear gear having teeth 51 adaptedto engage the teeth 54 on ring gear ll as'showa in i5. The-other elements of the device are the same as previously described.

The variation in the ratio of thespeeds of driv ing member I! with respect to those of shaft I2 is accomplished by varying the energization of magnetizing winding l1. However, when the magnetizing'winding l1 is'totally deenergized,

spring 24 will urge member 22' into engagement with gear 30. This provides a direct reverse drive. At an intermediate energization value of magnetizing winding l2, member 22 is held out of engagement with oth braking surface 25 and name. Thr'eis thus no driving effected between shaft l2 and shaft L5, as member 22 is free to rotate. Upon increased energization of ,winding. l1,.member 22 is urged into engagement with braking surface 25, and pinion 28 drives ring gear 30' through pinions 26. The

slippage between brake surface 25' and member 22 may be controlled by varying the strength of the'magnetic field through adjustment of rheostat 46 to effect infinite variation of the speed ratio of shaft I5 and shaft 12'.

' While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described to illustrate the application of the principles thereof, it will be understood that the invention may otherwise'be embodied without departing from such principles.

What I claim is:

1. A drive system comprising a housing; a mem ber mounted in said housing and having an elongated hub portion; a braking surface mounted in said housing; a driving shaft extending'through said hub portion; a driving pinion 0n the exrotatably mounted on said elongated hub portion; an internal ring gear mounted in said housing; a plurality of planetary pinions rotatably mounted on said mounting plate and engaging said driving pinion and said ring gear; resilient I means normally biasing said mounting gear; away from said braking surface and into/engagement with said ring gear;,and means for urging said mounting gear into frictional engagement with said surface and'controllingthe slippage between 1 said mounting gear and surfaceto vary. the ratio of speed of said ring gear to that ofsaid driving pinion. I y 3 4. A drive system comprising a'housing; a cupshaped' member of magnetic material fixedly mounted in said housing and having-an elongated hub-portion; a-braking surface mounted in said 30 housing adjacent said cup-shaped member; a driving shaft extending through said hub portion; a driving pinion on the extended end of said driving shaft; a pinion mounting plate rotatably mounted on said elongated hub portion; a magnetizing winding mounted in'said cup-shaped member; an internal ring gear mounted in said housing; a. plurality'of planetary pinions rotatably mounted on said mounting plateg'and engaging said driving pinion and said ring gear;

and electric circuit'means for energizing. said winding to create a magnetic circuit including said cup-shaped member and said mounting plate to urge said cup-shaped member into frictional engagement with said braking surface.

-5. A drive system comprising a housing; a cupshaped member of magnetic material fixedly mounted in said housing and having an-elongated hub portion; a braking surface mounted in plate into frictional engagement with said surface and controlling the slippage between said plate and surface to vary the ratio of the speed of said ring gear to that of said driving pinion.

said housing adjacent saidcupshaped member; a driving shaft extending through said hub portion; driving pinion on the extended end of said driving shaft; a pinion mounting plate rotatably mounted on said, elongated hub portion; a magnetizing winding mounted in said cup-shaped member; an internal ring gear mounted in said housing; a plurality of planetary pinions rotatably mounted 'on said mounting plate and engaging said driving pinion and said ring gear; resil- 2. A drive system comprising a housing; a

' member mounted in said housing and having an elongated hub portion; a braking surface mounted in said housing; a driving shaft extending through said hub portion; a driving pinion on the extended and of 'said driving shaft; a pinion mounting plate rotatably mounted on an antifriction hearing on said elongated hub portion;

' an internal; ring gear mounted in'said housing;

a plurality of planetary pinions rotatably mounted on said mounting plate and engaging said driving pinion and said ring gear; resilient means engaging a shoulder on said hubportion and said antifriction .bearingand normally biasing said mountlent means normally urging said mounting plate away from said braking surface; and electric circuit means for energizing said winding to create a magnetic circuit including said cupshaped member and said mounting plate to urge said cup-shaped member into frictional engagement with said braking surface.

6. A drive system comprising a housing; a cupshaped member of magnetic material fixedly mounted in said housing and having an elongated hub portion; a braking surface mounted in said housing adjacent said cup-shaped. member; a driving shaft extending through said hub portion; a driving pinion on the extended end of said driving shaft; a pinion mounting plate rotatably mounted on said elongated hub portion; a magnetizing winding mounted in said cup-shaped 2,885,830 t a 3 member; an internal ring gear mounted in said magnetic circuit n d g said c paped memhousing; a plurality of planetary pinions rotather and said mounting plate to urge said cupably mounted on said mounting plate and engagshaped member into frictional engagement with ing said driving pinion and said ring gear; electric said braking surface; and means for varyin the circuit means for energizing said winding to 5 energization of said magnetizing winding to con-, create a magnetic circuit including said cuptrol the slippage between said mounting plate and shaped member and said mounting plate to urge said braking surface to control the speed ratio of said cup-shaped member into frictional engagesaid driving pinion and driven member.

ment with said braking surface; and means for 8. A drive system comprising a housing; acupvarying the energization of said magnetizing shaped member of magnetic material mounted in Winding to control the slippage between said said housin d having a e a d h b D mounting plate and said braking surface to contion; a braking surface mounted in said housing trol the speed ratio of said driving pinion and adjacent said cup-shaped member; a driving driven member. shaft extending through said hub portion; a

7. A drive system comprising a housing; cupdriving pinion on the extended end of said drivshaped member of magnetic material fixedly ing af a Pinion m g ear rotatably mounted in said housing and having an elonmounted on said elongated hub portion; a maggated hub portion; a braking surface mounted in netizing Winding ed n aid c p-shaped said housing adjacent said cup-shaped member; member; an internal ring gear mounted in said a driving shaft extending through said hub porh usin a p u a ity f planetary pinions a tion; a driving pinion on the extended end of said ably mounted on said mounting plate and engagdriving shaft: a pinion mounting plate rotatably ing said driving pinion and said ring gear; resilmounted on said elongated hub portion; a magient means normally urging S d mounting gear netizing winding mounted in said cup-shaped away from said braking surface and into engagemember; an internal ring gear mounted in said ment with said ring gear; and electric circuit housing; a plurality of planetary pinions rotatmeans for energizing said win to eate a ably mounted on said mounting plate and engagma tic circuit including d pp ing said driving pinion and said ring gear; resilher and said mounting plate to urge said cupient means normally urging said mounting plate shaped member into frictional engagement with away from said braking surface; electric circuit said braking'surface. means for energizing said winding to create a WILLIAMP. LEAR. 

